


a precious seeing to the eye

by cardinalgirl75



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, I hope, prompt: reunion after a separation, short but sweet, stocking stuffer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28348254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cardinalgirl75/pseuds/cardinalgirl75
Summary: Most people notice her for all the wrong reasons.Most people notice her, look at her with condescension or pity, and move on to someone else—someone prettier, someone daintier, someone more worthy of their time.Most people are idiots.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 32
Kudos: 122
Collections: JB Festive Festival Exchange Stocking Stuffers 2020





	a precious seeing to the eye

**Author's Note:**

  * For [diesis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/diesis/gifts), [dreadwulf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreadwulf/gifts).



> Stocking stuffer time!!
> 
> One of my favorite songs EVER is "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice, so when I saw that diesis had included that in her prompts for the festive exchange, I knew I wanted to write something to go along with that. Her second prompt was "reunion after a separation," which ALSO happened to be what dreadwulf listed as a prompt. And so this little ficlet was born. I hope you both enjoy it!!
> 
> The story is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

“But love, first learnèd in a lady's eyes,  
Lives not alone immurèd in the brain,  
But, with the motion of all elements,  
Courses as swift as thought in every power,  
And gives to every power a double power,  
Above their functions and their offices.  
It adds a precious seeing to the eye...

William Shakespeare, _Love's Labor's Lost_

~*~

Jaime’s politely listening to his brother tell his joke about taking a jackass and a honeycomb into a bar for the thousandth time when she walks into the party.

Most people notice her for all the wrong reasons. She’s taller than everyone else at the party, which would be forgivable if she had the face of an angel or the body of a supermodel, but she has neither. To call her unattractive would be charitable, except for her eyes. They are large and such a beautiful blue that they make some wish to take those eyes and give them to an angel-faced beauty. As for her body, she’s large and muscular, and people think her oafish as a result.

Most people notice her, look at her with condescension or pity, and move on to someone else—someone prettier, someone daintier, someone more worthy of their time.

Most people are idiots. They see her face and don’t see how every feature tells a story—the nose that was broken once in the car accident that claimed her brother’s life, and once when she got drunk with Jaime in college, tried to walk back to their shared apartment, and she face-planted on a sidewalk. They don’t know about how she’d laughed at her own clumsiness while they waited in the ER to be seen. They don’t see the freckles as evidence of a life enjoyed outdoors, they see them as blemishes that need to be covered. They don’t know about her secret smiles when they’re alone together, smiles which don’t make her any more attractive but light up her eyes and give her a glow unlike anything Jaime’s ever seen.

They see her body and only see the bulky muscles, thinking it a shame that a woman should be so ungainly. If they watched her closer, they’d see that she moves with unusual grace for a woman of her size, maneuvering around the bunches of people with ease. He remembers teasing her when he first caught her doing yoga in their living room, only to start joining her soon after. He remembers how her body wraps around his in bed and makes him feel more secure than he’s ever felt in his life.

She stands out in a room of women who look like they come out of the same mold, wearing the same dresses and the same heels, perfectly made up with their perfect hair. She’s imperfect, and he wouldn’t have her any other way.

Gods, how he’s missed her.

They’d fought about whether she should accept the internship to study over in Braavos because she’d be gone for six months, and they haven’t been apart for more than the two weeks each spends with their families over Sevenmas since they’d met. In the end, he knew she had to go because the opportunity was too good. He’d thought about going with her, but he had too much keeping him in King’s Landing. They’d made promises that she would come home, or he would go to see her in Braavos, but somehow things always fell through and it hadn’t worked out. It was frustrating, because Jaime’s always been someone for whom things have worked out, a fact she teases him about all the time.

Now she’s back—just as tall, muscled, freckled, ugly, and magnificent as she always is.

“Jaime? Hello, Jaime? Stop staring and go to her.”

Jaime blinks several times before he looks down at his brother. Tyrion looks up at him with an amused smile.

“I’m sorry.” Jaime drops to a knee to give Tyrion a hug. “You know I’d stay longer, but…”

Tyrion pats him on the back. “Six months, man. Go get her, take her home, fuck her brains out against the door—”

“Okay, you can stop now.” Jaime lets him go and rises. “See you tomorrow.”

“Uh-huh.” Tyrion sounds doubtful, and he’s probably right and he’ll definitely tease Jaime about it when he surfaces later, but Jaime’s forgotten all about his brother by the time he takes two steps away from him.

Jaime ignores the sultry looks he gets from the carbon copies, his eyes firmly fixed on the woman who stands above them all in every way possible. A couple of them step into his path, but he sidesteps them deftly without engaging.

He knows the second she sees him. Her blue eyes soften and she smiles widely, a smile that reveals the crooked teeth she normally hides as best she can. She steps around a group of men that bursts into laughter once she’s gone by. Jaime should be pissed about that because he knows they’re laughing at her, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about anything, because she’s here, and she’s coming toward him.

And then she’s there, before him, and he doesn’t even let her get a word out before he’s on his toes to kiss her. It’s not the deep, passionate kiss he wants to give her, because she’s shy about such things. But it says everything he wants to say.

_I missed you. I need you. I love you._

Jaime breaks their kiss but doesn’t let go of her face, pressing his forehead to hers. He watches as her eyes open slowly. And when he sees that incomparable blue, he smiles and says, “Welcome home, Brienne.”

**Author's Note:**

> [I'm on Tumblr!](https://writergirl2011.tumblr.com)


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